Writer's Block: If I were president ...
If I were president for a day...
...I'd kick ass. *nods* Riiiiight. Seriously though.We need the political will to fight for what's good for the Filipino people.
Hmmm. For starters, I'd cut ties with the money hungry corporations that are raping my motherland and its people. I'd consider the contracts (that cheat Filipinos out of our birthright of lush natural resources) null and void. All those GMO-loving, mining-crazy, IP-exploiting, poaching-addicted, ocean-destroying, coal lovers are gonna get the boot. *sighs* I'd love to see a hundred Greenpeace victories and I wish for the triumph of every purehearted, community-based NGO fighting for the environment.
I'd overhaul the Department of Environment & Natural Resources and make executive orders for sustainable projects. I'd make deals with companies that push for renewable energy, because right now, the Philippines has the potential & the required sources - wind, sun, hydro, biomass, etc. We are very VERY capable of digging ourselves out of this current power crisis, yet the politicians are dragging their feet. You know why. The greedy fossil fuel industries are waving wads of money in their faces & they kinda like it. *gag* Since I have 24 hours to serve my country, I'd do well to clean up our government's business practices.
Speaking of business, I'd want to push for free trade. I want to give the little man - indigenous craftsmen, small farmers, local entrepreneurs, and so on - an opportunity to get a foothold. Let the people take hold of their destinies when they make deals without the threat of domination by larger companies & slick-handed governments. Let's ditch the under-the-table deals.
...And find the funding for more medicines and textbooks! I'd move around the budget so health care gets more funding and education, too. That means more money for hospital equipment in ALL provinces and better facilities in public hospitals. I want government-paid doctors, nurses and midwives and all others HC workers to get decent salaries. I want benefits & discounts for senior citizens I dream of a health care system like the UK's (see Michael Moore's Sicko for the astonishing details) or Canada's or France's.
More funding for school facilities, multimedia equipment, books and maybe feeding projects for kids in elementary school. Better benefits & hours for our teachers. Yes, I'd definitely like a less scary teacher-student ratio, because no one can get decent education if there are 60 2nd-graders in a cramped sardine box a.k.a classroom.
I want to protect women & children, as well as the indigenous people and those taken from us by political killings. I want to give abused a chance to voice their pains and then I want to give them justice. I'll let the Amnesty International loose on those evil human rights violators and watch the CHR have a field day.
I know you're probably scoffing at my idealism. I have so much more dreams for this country really. But scoff all you like, the nation-builders will have their time in the sun. Soon, I hope.
This is pretend. I get my daydream. We're all allowed to want something better. Not just for ourselves, but for an entire nation.
...I'd kick ass. *nods* Riiiiight. Seriously though.We need the political will to fight for what's good for the Filipino people.
Hmmm. For starters, I'd cut ties with the money hungry corporations that are raping my motherland and its people. I'd consider the contracts (that cheat Filipinos out of our birthright of lush natural resources) null and void. All those GMO-loving, mining-crazy, IP-exploiting, poaching-addicted, ocean-destroying, coal lovers are gonna get the boot. *sighs* I'd love to see a hundred Greenpeace victories and I wish for the triumph of every purehearted, community-based NGO fighting for the environment.
I'd overhaul the Department of Environment & Natural Resources and make executive orders for sustainable projects. I'd make deals with companies that push for renewable energy, because right now, the Philippines has the potential & the required sources - wind, sun, hydro, biomass, etc. We are very VERY capable of digging ourselves out of this current power crisis, yet the politicians are dragging their feet. You know why. The greedy fossil fuel industries are waving wads of money in their faces & they kinda like it. *gag* Since I have 24 hours to serve my country, I'd do well to clean up our government's business practices.
Speaking of business, I'd want to push for free trade. I want to give the little man - indigenous craftsmen, small farmers, local entrepreneurs, and so on - an opportunity to get a foothold. Let the people take hold of their destinies when they make deals without the threat of domination by larger companies & slick-handed governments. Let's ditch the under-the-table deals.
...And find the funding for more medicines and textbooks! I'd move around the budget so health care gets more funding and education, too. That means more money for hospital equipment in ALL provinces and better facilities in public hospitals. I want government-paid doctors, nurses and midwives and all others HC workers to get decent salaries. I want benefits & discounts for senior citizens I dream of a health care system like the UK's (see Michael Moore's Sicko for the astonishing details) or Canada's or France's.
More funding for school facilities, multimedia equipment, books and maybe feeding projects for kids in elementary school. Better benefits & hours for our teachers. Yes, I'd definitely like a less scary teacher-student ratio, because no one can get decent education if there are 60 2nd-graders in a cramped sardine box a.k.a classroom.
I want to protect women & children, as well as the indigenous people and those taken from us by political killings. I want to give abused a chance to voice their pains and then I want to give them justice. I'll let the Amnesty International loose on those evil human rights violators and watch the CHR have a field day.
I know you're probably scoffing at my idealism. I have so much more dreams for this country really. But scoff all you like, the nation-builders will have their time in the sun. Soon, I hope.
This is pretend. I get my daydream. We're all allowed to want something better. Not just for ourselves, but for an entire nation.